Tuesday, February 8, 2011

13 (2010) Review

I was amazed to see that Jason Statham/Mickey Rourke starrer 13 had only 7 external reviews on IMDB. The film to me is right up there with The Fighter and The Kings Speech in terms of production and acting. It is after a long, long time that a film has touched me so intensely and made me ponder over how precious life is. It made me realize that no amount of money can ever match the value of life.

A young man assumes the identity of a dead man in his greed and need for money and gets involved in an underground business where men bet on others' lives in a game of Russian roulette. He encounters fellow players, their handlers and the rich betters and discovers the importance of life in the process.

The film is beautifully presented with life being the main subject of the story. Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke have given great performances in roles that arguably seemed a little thin for stars like them. The fact however is that their presence in the film is just about as much as the script requires and that is the genius of casting in this film.

For shock value and grip the film is a 10/10. It keeps you interested for the whole trip and the end is also well conceived. Punctuated with brilliance, the film gives you the jitters with thrilling scenes and strong used of sound and dialog.

I urge all film lovers to see this one. It is a different film with a deep message and deserves all the accolades it can get!